[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 27 (Tuesday, February 13, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E344-E345]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




COMMEMORATING THE NATIONAL PSORIASIS FOUNDATION'S FOURTH ANNUAL CAPITOL 
                         HILL DAY FEBRUARY 2007

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JIM GERLACH

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 13, 2007

  Mr. GERLACH. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 
National Psoriasis Foundation and its fourth annual Capitol Hill Day, 
to be held February 26, through which the Foundation and nearly 100 
advocates from across the country will seek to bring much-needed 
attention to an often overlooked and serious disease that affects 
constituents in each of our districts. According to the National 
Institutes of Health (NIH) as many as 7.5 million Americans are 
affected by psoriasis--a chronic, inflammatory, painful, disfiguring 
and disabling disease for which there are limited treatments and no 
cure. Ten to 30 percent of people with psoriasis also develop psoriatic 
arthritis, which causes pain, stiffness and swelling in and around the 
joints. There are an average of 17,000 people living with psoriasis and 
psoriatic arthritis in every congressional district. (Estimate based on 
2000 Census Data/Census apportionment population with the average size 
of a congressional district of 646,952 and prevalence rate of 2.6 
percent.) In my district, there are nearly 20,000 constituents and 
320,000 Pennsylvanians state-wide affected by psoriasis.
  Psoriasis is widely misunderstood, minimized and under-treated. In 
addition to the pain, itching and bleeding caused by psoriasis, many 
affected individuals also experience social discrimination and stigma. 
Many people also mistakenly believe psoriasis to be contagious. 
Psoriasis typically first strikes between the ages of 15 and 25 and 
lasts a lifetime. As such, psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis impose 
significant burden on individuals and society; together they cost the 
Nation 56 million hours of lost work and between $2 billion and $3 
billion in treatments each year.
  Despite the serious adverse effects that psoriasis and psoriatic 
arthritis have on individuals, families and society, psoriasis and 
psoriatic arthritis are under-recognized and under-funded by our 
Nation's research institutions. The NIH has spent less than one dollar 
per person with psoriasis on average each of the last 10 years. At the 
historical and current rate of psoriasis funding, NIH funding is not 
keeping pace with research needs. I urge my colleagues to take action 
this year to boost funding for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, 
support efforts to improve and expand psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis 
data collection,

[[Page E345]]

study and improve access to care and treatment for these diseases, and 
help debunk the myths associated with psoriasis.
  I thank the National Psoriasis Foundation for all of its efforts and 
leadership over the last four decades and am grateful to the Foundation 
and its members for their ongoing commitment to improving quality of 
life for people with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. In particular, 
I would like to acknowledge the outstanding advocacy and leadership of 
my constituent, Lara Wine Lee, who has psoriasis and psoriatic 
arthritis and who has helped to educate me and my staff about the 
challenges for people living with these terrible conditions. Again, I 
urge my colleagues to join me in supporting our tens of thousands of 
constituents with psoriasis and the National Psoriasis Foundation. I 
call upon this Congress to take action to expand psoriasis and 
psoriatic arthritis research and ensure access to care and treatment 
for this disease and stand ready to lead this important effort.

                          ____________________